Bringing the World into your Kitchen

All posts filed under: Maldives

THE SCENE I’m not sure words can really do this past week justice. So I’m going to give you a visual presentation of my mother’s surprise birthday weekend in Florida, which just so happened to coincide with the week we ate sunny, tropical Maldives. First, of course, there was the surprise. And, boy, howdy. Mom sure was surprised. She knew she was flying in from Boston to visit her son Keith, but she had no idea her three other children would be there (including me), plus three grandchildren (including Ava). We came from Oklahoma, my brother Chris came from Virginia, and my sister Elisa and children (Amanda and Donovan) came from New Jersey. I thought she might fall over from the shock. And she almost did. Thankfully, she quickly recovered and we all had a really nice week in Florida. We ate our meal, which of course meant Mr Picky filmed it. Eating the whole fish was quite the topic of discussion. Especially one particular eyeball, which my nephew almost ate. While it eventually went untouched, …

Let’s capture sunlight in a pan… and pretend it’s all the way from Maldives. You only need three ingredients: ghee, sweetened condensed milk, and eggs. A pinch of salt is nice, if you’re feeling adventurous. Whisk the eggs and condensed milk together… and cook over a double boiler until very hot and thickened. This will take several minutes (about 15-20 for me). Melt in the ghee and continue whisking until thick and pulling away from the sides of the pan and resembles mashed potatoes or thick polenta. This can take a while (45 minutes for me), so make sure you have a glass of wine, or a bubbly spritzer to keep you occupied as your arms develop muscles you never knew you had. Don’t rush it or the custard won’t set enough to slice. Now is a good time to mention an important note: I tried to do cook this custard without a double boiler – I’m usually very good at this… but I was on my brother’s stove and because it was electric I …

I almost can’t believe how easy it is to chat with people from around the world now a days – to get to know each other – to learn from each other – to celebrate each other. To raise a glass to each other. Sometimes I get recipe ideas from books. Sometimes readers email me recipes. But today’s recipe for “Lomi Lomi” comes from an altogether different place. And it sparkles like the ocean on a sunny day. Last week I knew nothing about this poolside sipper. In fact, had I not begun a conversation with the Four Seasons Maldives on twitter, @FSMaldives), I would not be sharing it with you today. Lomi Lomi is snowy and tropical, sweet and tart, spicy and refreshing. Since it only contains three ingredients, the drink comes together very quickly. I am still in shock that hotel staff was able to suggest this drink to me from halfway around the world, and tell me how to make it … in less than 144 characters. When you can tweet a recipe, …

You should have seen my brother’s face when I told him we were going to make whole fish for our Maldivian Global Table. His eyes about popped out of his head. In fact, my entire family – both brothers, my sister, mom, niece and nephew – was wary of the idea. While eating the whole fish is rare in the United States, we knew from experience that our family was in for a treat. We ate this meal in Florida, as part of a celebration of my mom’s surprise 70th birthday, so I had a bounty of fresh, beautiful fish at my fingertips. Nothing had been previously frozen – it was glorious. I chose two large, bright-eyed grouper (almost $40 each) and began the process. I whipped together the marinade in my brother’s blender. Typically, locals mix together a combination of hot chili peppers, spices, and aromatics. In a fit of inspiration, I added the coconut milk as most every recipe in Maldives contains some form of coconut. The end result is a very moist sauce which gives …

My mother’s surprise 70th birthday party has been in the works since this fall, maybe even as early as this summer. Well, it finally happened … and thank goodness because none of us could stand to keep the secret one second longer. We all flew to Florida, at my brother’s house. There was cake. There were cookies. And, under the palm trees, there was a spread from Maldives. All week I felt as though I was in the real place, soaking up the sun, sand between my toes, and smiling all the way from sunset to sunset. Stovetop travel has never felt so real. What sounds good to you? Fihunu Mas [Recipe] Fresh whole fish rubbed in a blend of coconut milk, chilies, curry leaves, onion, cumin and chili powder. The fish is then roasted on the grill or in the oven until moist and flaky on the inside, and crusty-good on the outside. Maldivian Sliced Custard [Recipe] Just three ingredients make this sweet treat: eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and ghee. Lomi Lomi [Recipe] Sip your way to the …

The Republic of Maldives is a sunbathed group of islands southwest of India, dotted along the Indian ocean. Fish – specifically tuna – coconut, rice, and fresh fruit are the most popular tidbits from the region. Want some dried, crusty fish? They have it! Maldives Fish is a regional specialty of boiled tuna which is then sun-dried until rock hard. This sort of fish is often pounded and then integrated into coconut fish balls, curries, and sauces. Other fish, as well as with most meats, are most often enjoyed grilled or served in curry. Especially whole [Recipe]. On the side, you might find a spicy bowl of sambol – a popular hot sauce – or flatbreads, seasoned with coconut or onion. For dessert, locals cozy up to a bowl of juicy, fresh mango or papaya, rich custards [Recipe] made with condensed milk, and coconut sweets. Following British tradition, from colonial days, tea is served, as well as local specialties like Lomi Lomi made with ginger, palm sugar, citrus juice [Recipe], or even milk based drinks, as found in …